Relating to the organization, operation and financing of state government; appropriating money for agriculture, board of animal health, rural finance authority, veterans and the military

ARTICLE 1 - AGRICULTURE

Providing a summary of appropriations; appropriating money to commissioner of agriculture for protection services including the voluntary cleanup fund, compensation for destroyed or crippled animals, compensation for crop damage, plant pest surveys and noxious weed control additional duties, agricultural marketing and development purposes including Minnesota grown product promotion grants, demonstration projects involving sustainable agriculture grants, training and technical assistance to county and town officials relating to livestock siting issues and local zoning and land use planning, integrated pest management activities, cost-share payments for organic certification, bioenergy and value-added agriculture purposes including ethanol producer payments, administration and financial assistance including continuation of the dairy development and profitability enhancement and dairy business planning grant programs, equipment for the Northern Crops Institute, a grant to the livestock breeders association, for grants to the Minnesota agricultural education and leadership council for programs, for payments to county and district agricultural societies and associations and 4-H premiums, grants to the Minnesota state poultry association, grants to the Minnesota turf seed council, grants to second harvest heartland for purchase of milk for food shelves, the agricultural growth, research and innovation program, a transfer to the board of trustees of the Minnesota state colleges and universities (MnSCU) for mental health counseling support to farm families and business operators at Central Lakes college and Ridgewater college, grants to Minnesota horticultural society, Minnesota agricultural fertilizer research and education council for fertilizer research grants, a transfer to the university of Minnesota extension service for farm-to-school grants to school districts in Minneapolis, Moorhead, White Earth and Willmar, the star farms program and for administration of the Feeding Minnesota task force, board of animal health including bovine tuberculosis and paratuberculosis, (Johne's disease) eradication, avian pneumovirus disease investigation and identification and cervidae inspection and for agricultural utilization research institute activities; modifying certain compensation payments to livestock stock and crop owners; classifying certain data created, collected and maintained by the department of agriculture during research, monitoring or assessment of farm practices and related to natural resources, the environment, agricultural facilities or agricultural practices; expanding sustainable agriculture duties; updating loan terms under the agricultural shared savings loan program; modifying the livestock investment grant program application process; updating the Minnesota noxious weed law, defining and redefining certain terms, authorizing cooperative weed control agreements, authorizing certain duties of county-designated employees, authorizing commissioner to certify forage, mulch, soil, gravel and other material, requiring commissioner in consultation with the noxious weed advisory committee to determine noxious weeds subject to control and requiring a periodic list and specifying distribution, authorizing county petition for weed designation and providing for management, gifts, grants, contracts, funds, investigation, education, state and federal lands, interagency cooperation and establishing a weed management area, modifying certain appointment requirements and duties of county agricultural inspectors, specifying certain mandatory duties of county agricultural inspectors and county-designated employees; specifying certain county and municipality approval requirements for noxious weed program funding use; creating the noxious weed and invasive plant species assistance account in the agricultural fund and providing for an appropriation and a grant program under commissioner; establishing the noxious weed advisory committee, specifying certain duties and membership requirements, providing a deadline for appointments, sunset provision; modifying certain pesticide control regulations, defining certain terms, increasing the authority of commissioner relating to waste pesticide collections, requiring an agricultural pesticide dealer license, specifying reporting requirements; regulating pesticide application on common carrier railroad property; modifying certain fertilizer, soil amendment and plant amendment provisions, requiring the filing of annual tonnage reports and modifying certain fee requirements; modifying uses of money in the agricultural chemical response and reimbursement account to pay for certain incident response costs; changing nursery law, defining terms, modifying the nursery stock grower and dealer certificates fee schedules, including nursery stock dealers under nursery stock certification requirement provisions, requiring packaged dormant nursery stock to be stored under certain conditions; increasing food handler reinspection assessment fees; changing duties of the food safety and defense task force, charging the task force with food defense; requiring the Minnesota organic advisory task force to advise the university of Minnesota (U of MN) on policies and programs to improve organic agriculture, modifying task force membership, requiring commissioner to appoint members in consultation with the university; providing a deadline for appointments by commissioner of agriculture; establishing the Feeding Minnesota task force to make proposals to study the consumption of Minnesota grown produce and livestock by facilitating the donation of harvested products to charities providing food for hungry people, sunset provision; modifying the dairy farm reinspection fee; modifying certain duties of the commissioner relating to ethanol producer payments; establishing the agricultural growth, research, and innovation program for promoting the advancement of agricultural and renewable energy industries, sunset provision; updating rural finance authority (RFA) loan terms for the beginning farmer program, loan restructuring program, seller-sponsored program, agricultural improvement loan program and livestock expansion loan program; authorizing commissioner of natural resources (DNR) to capture or control nonnative or domestic animals causing damage to natural resources or agricultural lands; modifying the ethanol producer payment program and the minimum ethanol content in fuel requirement; extending the expiration date of the Farmer-Lender Mediation Act; prohibiting the department of agriculture, board of animal health and agricultural utilization research institute from using funds to pay for services of staff in office of the governor; clarifying a prior provision relating to bovine tuberculosis control temporary assessments and providing for enforcement; requiring board of agricultural utilization research institute to study and report on how to increase the number of green jobs in the food production sector, requiring report to legislature; requiring commissioner of agriculture to apply for federal stimulus funding; requiring commissioner to consult with food processors and retailers regarding the development of labeling to identify food products processed in the state; requiring commissioner of natural resources (DNR), in coordination with the commissioner of agriculture and board of animal health, to develop a report and recommend necessary changes for controlling feral swine and other nonnative or domestic animals running at large; requiring commissioner of agriculture to complete certain required task force appointments by a certain date; authorizing the board of animal health to make onetime grants to certain beef cattle producers participating in the bovine tuberculosis herd buyout; requiring commissioner of agriculture to actively seek tenants to rent vacant space in the Freeman building; repealing certain aquaculture report requirements, duties of county agricultural inspectors, certain provisions relating to fair prizes, the family farm security program, certain requirements for native prairie planning and a certain rule relating to care of dormant nursery stock

ARTICLE 2 - RURAL FINANCE AUTHORITY BONDS

Appropriating money to rural finance authority (RFA) to purchase participation interests in or to make direct agricultural loans to farmers under the beginning farmer program, loan restructuring program, seller-sponsored program, agricultural loan improvement program and livestock expansion program, authorizing the issuance of general obligation bonds

ARTICLE 3 - VETERANS AFFAIRS

Appropriating money to commissioner of veterans affairs for a grant to the Minnesota assistance council for veterans, for continuing the merger of department of veterans affairs computer system and the former veterans homes board computer system, for the Minnesota GI bill program, for veterans service organization grants, for state soldiers assistance fund, for veterans homes special revenue account, repair and betterment, the Hastings veterans home mental health program, for increases in food, fuel and utility, and pharmaceuticals costs at the Minnesota veterans homes, and medicare certification for use of medicare part D for pharmacy costs at the veterans homes; authorizing the commissioner of administration to award a certain amount of preferences in the amount bid on state procurement to certified small businesses majority-owned and operated by veterans or veterans with service connected disabilities, providing certification; requiring qualified veterans to be granted interviews for state employment vacant positions, defining recently separated veteran; allowing individuals between certain ages returning from active military service to enroll as dependents of eligible employees regardless of student status in the state employee group insurance plan (SEGIP), specifying requirements; authorizing commissioner of transportation (DOT) to award a certain amount of preferences in the amount bid for specified trunk highway construction to certain veteran-owned small businesses; authorizing and providing for the issuance of special Gold Star motor vehicle license plates for eligible family members of military service personnel who have died in active military service by commissioner of public safety, authorizing transfer upon payment of fee; providing for veteran designation on applications for a drivers license or identification card under certain conditions, specifying certain data maintenance requirements; applying veterans preference to state civil service positions and certain classified employment positions; modifying a provision relating to the veterans preference act for teachers dismissal hearings; modifying appropriation requirements for payment of entitlements under the Minnesota GI bill program; authorizing commissioner of veterans affairs to apply for and receive federal stimulus funding; requiring commissioner to maximize the use medicare part D for pharmacy costs for eligible veterans residing at the veterans homes; requiring the metropolitan council and certain agencies to award a certain percentage of preference in the amount bid for specified goods and services to veteran-owned small businesses; modifying requirements of eligibility based on military experience for reciprocity examination for a peace officer; extending the expiration date of the county veterans services working group; requiring commissioner of finance to collect veterans preference study data from certain cabinet level state agencies and requiring report to the legislature; requiring commissioner to continue veterans construction project priority listing status activities; specifying certain duties of commissioner relating to state veterans cemetery sitings in both northeastern and southwestern Minnesota, requiring priority consideration for southwestern location in Redwood county; prohibiting the department of veterans affairs from using funds appropriated in this article for paying staff services of the governor

ARTICLE 4 - MILITARY AFFAIRS

Appropriating money to commissioner of military affairs for maintenance of training facilities, general support and enlistment incentives; authorizing the adjutant general to accept uncompensated and voluntary services and enter into written agreements with private and public agencies or persons for uncompensated and voluntary services, permitting travel reimbursement; requiring adjutant general to establish a program of postdeployment health and wellness assessments for members of the national guard called into active military service and deployed outside the state; creating an alternative statutory short form of general powers of attorney for military members in active service, modifying requirements for affidavit as proof of authority of attorney-in-fact; prohibiting the adjutant general from using funds appropriated in this article for paying for staff services of the governor
(Ch. 94, 2009)